


Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

by Swiftarcher



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 13:34:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17245160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swiftarcher/pseuds/Swiftarcher
Summary: Inquisitor Pyreshard has only known disdain and hatred towards the witches of the Coven. What happens when she is ordered to work with them? Can she put her feelings aside or will she burn the whole thing down?





	Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

"Confess! Confess to the evidence!" cried Inquisitor Pyreshard. Her Darklight Inquisition colors pulled tightly against her chest. "No? Then time for the fun part." she said. Her fiery orange hair slightly falling in front of her face. 

She placed a claw-gauntleted hand across the old woman's throat. "I invoke Dunhir, God of the blazing sun, and by his will I purge all of the insidious shadows that lurk in the dark." The sun shaped scars beneath her eyes glowed in righteous fire.

The woman cried out in pain as the metal began to glow with an intense heat. "I don't know anything I swear." she begged, "I-I'm just the town physician."

Inquisitor Pyreshard let loose a sinister laugh as the metal began to turn white. "Is that what you call spreading a plague amongst your 'patients'." she continued, "And when you let poor little Amy get away you decided to set the entire thing ablaze. You remember that don't you?" 

The inquisitor paused a moment. "You know it would have been smarter to let the plague spread to neighboring villages, but no. In your rage you panicked. You couldn't wait any longer so you burned it all." 

A small eight year old girl peered out from behind the inquisitor's leg. She nervously looked at the old crone's face before quickly retracting. Tears poured down the old woman's face and instantly evaporated on the inquisitor's gauntlet. "Amy please tell the nice woman it wasn't me." she struggled. 

Amy cowered behind Inquisitor Pyreshard clutching her leg tightly. "That's her miss. That's the mean lady." 

The inquisitor's laughter escalated as she slowly pierced each individual finger into the skin. "Paige that's enough." called lead Inquisitor Bixsby, "Just end that malevolent demon."

The crone's mouth contorted into a crooked smile. "Oh yes, please put me out of my misery Paige." she mocked.

Paige's laughter ceased immediately. "Ash." In a burst of blinding light the crone's broken body was reduced to ash. "No coming back from that." 

"Come on we're done here." said Bixsby. 

The power dulled from Paige's scars as she crouched in front of Amy. "I told you the bad woman would go away." With a sincere smile she opened her arms and said, "Come now. Let's get you away from this place." Amy nodded slowly and ran into her clutches. 

"Alright Bixsby, we're ready." 

The trio left the remnants of Throughbend village behind as they headed back to the capital. After the inquisitors dropped the child off at the capital's orphanage they headed for the grand cathedral. "You went too far again." said Bixsby.

"I always go too far." responded Paige, "I mean it's not as if they don't deserve it." 

"I'm not saying they don't." he paused, "Look Lord Darklight is trying to change things. We both agree this feud as gone on for far too long." 

"But tho-"

"No Paige, listen to me. The witches have done some heinous things, but the truth is we have too." Bixsby pulled out a letter. "Lord Darklight has been in correspondence with Coven leader Abbadon and they've been hatching a plan of sorts."

"And you trust Abbadon?" asked Paige, "The most nefarious Coven leader I might add."

The elderly inquisitor sighed. "No and on the contrary even Lord Darklight is expecting some complications."

Paige began preparing the altar for evening worship. "Due tell me more about this plan though." 

Bixsby opened the letter and read it over a few times. "Lord Darklight wishes for an inquistor to accompany one of Abbadon's 'most esteemed' witches and her 'guard' in a retrieval mission. Abbadon spoke of some sort of dragon cult and in return for aiding her witch she'll grant us the spear of Dunhir."

"So in return for our aid she is gonna give us back something she stole. That's rich." she laughed. "And do pray tell, who is the sad sap that is going with these witches?" 

Bixsby looked to Paige. "Lord Darklight left that up to my recommendation."

"No. Don't tell me." 

"Yep that's right. I hope your ready to face your demons."

"You didn't."

"They should be reaching the neutral port Redmont of the Degrealia Republic in a few days. I suggest you hurry." He smiled widely, "Do try not to kill them."

Paige stormed out of the cathedral before storming back. "My room is upstairs!" she said rushing past Bixsby. After throwing anything she might need into a sack slung over her shoulder she left the capital in the direction of port Redmont.

A quiet week of travel passed before the bustling port town came into view. The busy port was filled to the brim with merchants, travelers and adventurers alike. Paige looked over the letter she was given by Bixsby. The Crooked Chateau, quite the name, she thought to herself. After asking some passerbys she was directed to what looked like half of a large ship. Hanging above, what was now functioning as the front door, was a sign reading: The Crooked Chateau.

The front doors were thrown open as a large burly man was flung out of the establishment. Paige peeked in to find a woman with albino snakes coiled around her head stood in the doorway.

"See you soon Mals." She called out to a woman with an inky black bob sat at a table nearest to the entrance. Paige looked to the girl at the table and noticed her staring back with a serpentine grin. 

"You must be our inquisitor friend." she said, "Come sit."

Paige put on her fakest smile and joined the two woman at the table. Across from her sat the girl with the short inky black hair. She seemed eerily familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. To her left sat a tall slender woman with long white hair and pale grey skin. 

The short haired girl extended an arm. "Malady." 

Sudden realization hit her and she couldn't hold back her laughter. "That's it! The insanely black hair, the knife ears, and now the name Malady. Your that incessant spawn of the witch Abbadon!"

"That's correct miss?" responded Malady.

"Inquisitor Pyreshard to you." 

"Can I call you Shardy?" she jested, "Oh I know! What about Quisy. I'm a big fan of Quisy."

The vein above Paige's right eye began to twitch rapidly. The other woman stabbed a knife into the table. "So can I kill her yet?"

Malady sighed. "Patience Lil, no killing yet." 

"If you say so." she said retracting the dagger.

"This is Liliana, by the by. She is supposed to be our bodyguard or something." introduced Malady.

"Speaking of, what's the point of all this?" questioned Paige, "The bodyguard the working together. What's your mother's angle?"

"Well first off we're going somewhere pretty dangerous. And second off I don't know but she seemed pretty sincere." answered Malady. 

"And what's stopping me from killing you now?" Paige asked politely.

Liliana perked up.

Malady's index finger hummed with power." I don't think you could kill me before I disintegrated you and plus the inquisition wouldn't get it's precious spear of Dunhir back." she continued, "But to be totally honest I could care less about the Coven. I've been occupied on Solden for some time now and only went back to the Coven for my mother's help."

Paige dropped her face into her hands. "Whatever. Where are we even going?"

"Small cluster of islands called the Serpent's Strand in between here and Solden." responded Malady.

"And why are we going there?" questioned Paige.

"Some dragon cult shite." answered Malady, "Did you see the gorgoni at the door earlier?"

Paige nodded.

Malady continued, "Her name is Golgonia and we're hitching a ride on her ship in a few days. So get ready."

Paige eased back a bit. "Wonderful."


End file.
